Despite their large size, pro football players may have just an average risk of heart disease, a study suggests. Researchers examined 504 National Football League players. Their average body mass index was 31. Above 30 is considered obese. But the weight was mostly muscle. The typical NFL player had only 14% body fat. The players were compared with a larger group of young men. They had lower blood sugar and similar cholesterol. But the football players had almost three times the rate of high blood pressure as the other young men. They also were more than 2½ times as likely to have prehypertension. This means that pressure is above normal but still below the high blood pressure range. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The Associated Press wrote about it May 27.
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Melanoma, the worst form of skin cancer, is rising rapidly in young women. That conclusion comes from a study using U.S. cancer data. Researchers looked at data from 1973 through 2004. They focused on people ages 15 through 39. Melanoma rates for young men and women both rose until 1980. Then the rate for men stopped rising. But among women it rose another 50% by 2004. That adds up to 13.9 cases per 100,000 young women each year. Researchers said young women may be spending more time in the sun or in tanning salons. The study was in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The Washington Post reported on it July 11.
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Researchers have long studied the benefits of physical activity. Now they’re also focusing on the risks of sitting still. A study published last year found that more time spent sitting translated to a higher risk of death, regardless of whether people exercised. A recent editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says that four hours of sitting can lead to harm. Americans spend more than half their waking hours sitting: in cars, at desks and on couches. Experts recommend frequent breaks, and exercising for brief periods throughout the day.
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Scientists have unlocked the genetic code of the common cold. But this work is not likely to lead to a cure, the Associated Press (AP) reported February 13. Rhinovirus, which causes most colds, is common but not simple. It has 99 known strains. Scientists reported online in the journal Science that they had sequenced all of them. This means looking at the parts of genes, called nucleotides, and finding out in what order they appear. The strains vary a lot on the outside, where the immune system would attack. So a vaccine wouldn’t work against many strains, a researcher told AP. But the inside parts of the virus strains are similar. These parts could be targets for a drug to treat the cold.
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Breast self-exams may do more harm than good, a group of experts says. The Cochrane Collaboration looked at previous research from Russia and China. A total of 388,535 women were randomly assigned to perform breast exams, or not. There was no difference in breast cancer deaths between the groups. But women who did breast exams had twice as many biopsies of lumps that were not cancer. Cochrane reached a similar conclusion in 2003. But the American Cancer Society and other groups still recommend self-exams. That’s because many women with breast cancer find lumps themselves. Time Magazine online, ABC News and CNN reported on the story July 15 or 16.
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Daytime bone surgery may be less likely to require follow-up procedures than surgery done at night, a study suggests. The study looked at 203 procedures to repair a broken thigh or shin bone. All of them included a supporting rod. Those done between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. were compared with those done between 4 p.m. and 6 a.m. People who had night surgeries more often required a follow-up procedure to remove the hardware because of pain. The study’s main author said surgeons may be more tired at night. Both groups had similar results for healing, recovery time and problems such as infection. The study was published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. HealthDay News wrote about it September 7.
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People with sleep apnea stop breathing for short periods while asleep. Sleep apnea also has been linked with heart disease and stroke. Now a small study has found that even mild sleep apnea can be dangerous. Researchers found that people who had mild sleep apnea had stiffer arteries. Stiff arteries are a risk factor for many heart-related conditions. The study appears in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Most U.S. women who should be tested for chlamydia are not doing so, researchers say. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common type of bacterial infection spread by sex in this country. U.S. health officials say that sexually active women under 25 should be tested for it. So should older women with a new sex partner or multiple partners. Finally, it’s recommended for all pregnant women. But only 42% of women in these groups were tested in 2007, the new study found. That’s up from 25% in 2000. Data for the study came from public and private health plans. Reuters Health wrote about the study April 16. It appeared in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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The typical American gets 22 teaspoons of added sugars each day, and the American Heart Association says that’s way too much. It says the average woman should consume no more than 6 teaspoons daily. For a man, the limit should be 9. The group’s new statement is in the journal Circulation. The Associated Press (AP) wrote about it August 25. The limits include sweeteners such as corn syrup, too. They do not include natural sugars such as those in fruit. Soft drinks are by far the biggest source of added sugars for Americans, the guidelines say. A 12-ounce drink contains sweeteners equal to 8 teaspoons of sugar. Candy, sugar, cookies, cakes and pies rank next. People who want to consume more sugar should exercise more, the guidelines’ lead author told AP.
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A maker of vitamins for men should not say they reduce the risk of prostate cancer, a consumer group says. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said it would sue if the claims continue, the Associated Press reported. The disputed ads are for One-A-Day Men’s Health Formula and 50+ Advantage vitamins. Both are made by Bayer Healthcare. The company said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its statements. But the consumer group said a recent study disproved the prevention claim. The focus of the dispute is selenium, an ingredient in the vitamins. In the study, men who took selenium had about the same prostate cancer rates as those who took placebos (fake pills). The National Institutes of Health sponsored the study.
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